


Everything All at Once and Not at All

by ArcticMatter_77



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Breath of the Wild Spoilers, Death, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, LiPha, Light Horror, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), Relationship(s), Slow Burn, Spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Violence, miphlink, no betas we die like men, the flow of time itself is convoluted, this is long, wtf is canon in this series anyway?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:07:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcticMatter_77/pseuds/ArcticMatter_77
Summary: There is always a boy. Always a princess. Always an ancient and powerful sword. And always an evil that is just as ancient.The signs are there for those who care enough to read them. Calamity Ganon is making its devastating return after slumbering for so long that few can even guess at its power. All that anyone knows is that it is surely a threat to all life within Hyrule. Perhaps the power of the mysterious Guardians and the Divine Beasts that have been uncovered can help turn the tide, but in the end, it will all come down to the legendary knight and his sword that seals the darkness, and the princess with her divine sealing power. Friendships evolve, relationships change, and the burden of responsibility is placed upon many much sooner than they deserve.But . . . are they underestimating their opponent?Are they destined to fail?
Relationships: Daruk & Link & Mipha & Revali & Urbosa & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Impa & Link (Legend of Zelda), Impa & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Mipha (Legend of Zelda), Mipha & Prince Sidon
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	Everything All at Once and Not at All

**Hyrule Field, Central Hyrule**

Link ducked, rolling out of the way of a vicious blow that would’ve decapitated him.

The Moblin swung its wicked club back and forth, striking another knight in the chest and sending him flailing to the ground, the center of his silver chestplate dented by the force of the blow. The other Hylian hit the ground, dropping his sword and clutching at his chest as he gasped for air.

The Moblin – a lanky, red-skinned creature that towered over the Hylians and even over most of the other monsters – moved in for the killing blow, raising its crude club high over its head with one hand and letting out a gurgling snarl. In a moment, the club would descend, and the other knight would be nothing more than a red smear upon the grass and dirt below.

Link couldn’t let that happen.

Surging forward even as other knights scrambled away, the young warrior raised his broadsword and, with as much might as he could muster, slashed it across the back of the Moblin’s legs. The creature let out a pained cry as blood spurted from the newly opened wounds, sending it to its knees as it spasmed. Sensing an opening, Link readied his weapon and struck at the Moblin once more, driving the tip of his sword into the side of its exposed abdomen. It sunk in deep, piercing muscle and organ alike. Link put his boot against the kneeling Moblin’s side and pushed, withdrawing the blade.

Groaning, the creature gurgled and flopped to the ground, dead. Blood slowly spread out from the corpse, saturating the ground beneath it as other knights fumbled to carry away the injured Hylian that Link had just saved.

“Great job!” bellowed a nearby captain. “Let’s use this momentum to take back the outposts!”

That was it then. This was only one small victory in a much larger fight. Other areas around Hyrule Field were undoubtedly also under siege and needed assistance. The fight was far from over.

Still, Link took a moment to catch his breath as other knights raced forward to do as they’d been bid. Placing his circular shield on his back, he wiped at his brow with one hand; covered in a brown fingerless glove.

“Well, well,” said a booming voice. “We have a Moblin slayer among us.”

Surprised, Link jumped slightly, turning to see none other than King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule standing nearby, his great claymore resting upon one broad shoulder. He was dressed in long, black and blue robes and was surrounded by royal guards and knight captains. His blue eyes were trained solely upon Link.

The King himself was actually participating in the battle, leading his own unit of troops against the monsters that had come knocking on the castle walls. If that wasn’t a sign of just how dire the situation was, Link wasn’t sure what was.

For months, rumors and whispers had been circulating throughout Hyrule. More monsters, increased activity, the possibility of the return of the Calamity. And now, here they were: with hordes of dangerous monsters roaming the land in packs, waiting to attack anyone who crossed their path.

King Rhoam stroked his great white beard with one large hand. “You’re serving the kingdom well, young knight. Keep fighting like that, and perhaps an official appointment will be in order.”

Link couldn’t help but grin. Just a bit.

At seventeen, he was the youngest knight in the kingdom. He’d reached his position early in part thanks to his family’s long history of faithfully serving the crown as royal guards and, of course, his determination and skill when it came to training and wielding a blade.

An official appointment would be quite the accomplishment this early into his career.

But there would be time to think about that later. Right now, he had to help take back the castle grounds. Giving King Rhoam a quick bow, Link turned, readied his sword and shield, and ran towards the nearest of the outposts that the knights should be taking back; just beside a Hylian garrison on the south side of the field. It was currently under siege by a group of Bokoblins.

Link ran across one of the nearby hills, his greaves clattering against discarded weaponry, the bodies of monsters and Hylian soldiers, and grass, rock, and dirt as he hurried toward the frenzied sounds of combat coming from what seemed to be an outpost to the west. In reality, it was little more than a few fences, sharp wooden pillars, and hastily-constructed watchtowers set in a small, circular formation between a few raised, rocky hills. Inside, a fierce fight between a group of soldiers and Bokoblins was raging on. Metal spears and swords clashed with wooden clubs and pikes as the two factions battled for control over the position.

Sucking in a deep breath, Link stepped in to join the fight. In a rush, he darted forth and sliced the head off of a Bokoblin that was menacing a fellow soldier, the force of his swipe sending the red, dopy creature’s head sailing high into the air, trailing blood as it flew in a high arc up into the sky.

On instinct, Link twirled, swinging his sword horizontally and slicing open the bellies of another pair of Bokoblins that had attempted to flank him. They fell to the ground, squealing in pain as their purplish guts spilled out onto the dirt.

Just as he always did while in a fight, Link let his awareness of the conflict take over as adrenaline surged through him, falling back only on training and feeling and instinct to carry him forward. He batted aside clubs using his circular shield, he swung his sword this way and that, cutting open monsters and lopping off limbs as he fought beside his countrymen.

_Left, right, left, up!_

_Duck!_

_Back up!_

The deadly back and forth dance of combat was set to the terrible and beautiful music of wood crashing against metal armor, of blunt clubs striking flesh, of cries of pain and anguish, of sliver slicing through skin, muscle, and bone. Exhilarating and terrifying, just as it had always been to Link.

At long last, the final Bokoblin slumped to the ground.

“That’s it!” called a nearby captain. “Hold position, men. We’ve got to keep more of them from entering the garrison!” He rounded on Link. “You! Thanks for your help. Move on and see if anyone else needs you; we’ll keep this area secure.”

Link nodded and, sheathing his sword, turned and ran out of a gate adjacent to the one he’d entered the outpost through. He found himself on a stone path that led up to a circular courtyard, filled only with a small fountain and a few abandoned carriages; surrounded on all sides by more buildings and walls within the garrison

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that nothing around him moved.

He was covered in sweat and the blood of Hylians, Bokoblins, and Moblins alike.

Just a bit winded from the fighting, he placed his shield upon his back took the opportunity to just look around. There were bodies everywhere. Blood, body parts, and gore lay strewn across the ground. Smoke rose from craters caused by cannonballs. Damage to the fields and the outposts would have to be repaired later.

Something . . . out of place caught his eye.

Resting against a nearby rock was a small, white object. Curious, Link stepped closer. It didn’t appear to be a monster. Far from it. In fact, it seemed to resemble the Guardians that the Sheikah were so fond of studying and guarding. The thing was shaped almost like an egg, with three long, tentacle-like legs protruding from its base. It was covered in strange, bronze designs and appeared to be lifeless, as a pair of blue butterflies had alighted upon it and were resting there after the upheaval of the battle.

“Now what . . .” Link muttered, kneeling in front of it, “are you?”

Before he could reach out and touch the contraption, the sound of rumbling feet caught his attention.

Instantly, he straightened, his hand going to his sword and his eyes darting toward the source of the commotion. A girl around his age with long white hair and her arms full of scrolls and some sort of dark rectangular object was running from a group of Bokoblins that were tearing after her.

Evidently, there were still some stragglers.

As she ran, her eyes alighted on Link and he recognized her. She was Lady Impa: a member of the Sheikah tribe and an advisor to the royal family. She was close friends with Princess Zelda herself.

“You!” she called. “Help!” And she turned to sprint toward him.

She tripped on something – a dismembered Bokoblin arm, by the looks of it – and fell to the ground. In the process, she let go of everything she carried. The scrolls fell into the dirt with her, but the strange object flew up into the air towards Link, who had already broken into a run in order to save Impa.

Slipping back into his ‘battle-ready’ mode, Link held his sword with one hand and reached up into the air with his other, catching the pad – that he could have sworn suddenly pulsed with a bright blue light – as it fell toward him.

Just as he reached the fallen girl’s side, ready to fight another mass of monsters, the ground shook violently beneath him. Both he and the Bokoblins stopped dead in their tracks, thrown off by the sudden shifting of the earth beneath them.

Impa, white-haired and sporting the symbol of her clan - a large eye with a tear falling from it - tattooed upon her forehead, looked around frantically. “Huh?” she gasped. “Why is this happening?”

The lead Bokoblin seemed to regain control of itself enough to mount an attack. It rushed forward, raising its club as it made ready to strike at her. Link ran forward to meet it, still clutching the strange pad, and bared his teeth, raising his sword and preparing himself for a fight.

And then the ground exploded in front of him.

The monster was gone as the stone path beneath their feet parted. Where nothing had been a moment before, an immense, golden tower suddenly rose from out of nowhere, shooting high into the air in the middle of the courtyard.

His mouth hanging open, Link could do little but stand and stare. He’d never seen anything like this before in his life. Beside him, Impa slowly got to her feet, just as transfixed with the structure as he was.

“It’s . . . a tower?” she almost whispered, shocked.

A tiny pitter-patter of feet caught Link’s attention. He whipped around and saw, to his surprise, the egg-like contraption he’d just seen deactivated against a rock had suddenly come to life. A bright blue orb sat in the middle of its . . . _face?_ . . . where one hadn’t been before. It now walked, or rather, _skittered_ forward on its three tentacle legs. It also was staring up at the tower.

The girl turned to look at the egg thing. “What is _that_?” she wondered aloud. Then, the sound of more monsters from the other side of the tower caught her attention. “A question for later, I guess. Gotta deal with these guys first.” She rounded on Link, her demeanor instantly much more serious. “You there – thanks for the help. Now, how about we carve our way out?” Impa reached behind her and drew a short kodachi from a sheath that was attached horizontally to her waist.

Link nodded at her. “I’ll help,” he assured her. As they advanced toward the opposite side of the tower, where more soldiers had appeared to combat the remaining Bokoblins that had chased after Impa, he stowed the strange object he’d caught on his belt and pulled out his shield.

But apparently, that caught her eye. “Now what’s that?” she said, looking surprised. “The Sheikah Slate’s been activated? Purah said that it might have powers to help our fight!”

Link looked at the ‘Slate’ and then back at her, confused.

“Use the runes!” Impa prompted.

Keeping one eye on the fighting, Link retrieved the Slate and held it up. On the screen, there was a large, light blue symbol visible on the front. It was circular, with a slash near its top and a small circle protruding just above it. Curious, Link tapped the symbol. There was a sudden 'swish’ sound and a round, glowing blue orb just like the one pictured on the Slate appeared in his off-hand.

What did one do with a ball?

Throw it.

So Link did.

He wound up and tossed the strange orb at the nearest group of Bokoblins. To his surprise, the moment the ball hit the ground, it exploded in a bright blast of light the same color as the orb itself, tearing apart several monsters and sending others flying into the air. Another ball – bomb, actually – appeared in Link’s hand, and he threw that one too. Then a third, and a fourth. By that point, there were only a couple of stragglers, which were quickly being routed by the Hylian soldiers.

Link stowed the Slate on his belt.

“Woah,” Impa said, looking at him. “I’ve never actually seen it in action before. That’s pretty handy.”

Link was inclined to agree with her. The ability to summon explosives whenever he needed was absolutely something he could get used to in the field.

“There’s a Fire Wizzrobe on the Field!” called one of the soldiers, waving to the others. “Come on!”

Link made to run after them, but Impa caught his shoulder.

“Please,” she said. “Let me handle this. I need you to do me a favor.”

Link paused. “What?” he asked. What could be more important than helping to handle a Wizzrobe?

Impa looked down. The little mechanized creature that he’d found had followed Link, sticking close to his legs as he’d rushed forward to use the bombs on the Bokoblins. Apparently, it had taken some kind of shine to him. Odd.

“I need you to look after this thing,” she said, gesturing to it. “It looks like it might be some ancient Sheikah technology that we haven’t seen before; which means it’s important. I can handle the Wizzrobe with the soldiers. You go help take back the other outposts. Okay?”

Link was accustomed to taking orders. He nodded.

“Great. Let’s meet back at the tower when the battle’s over. See you then!”

And just like that, she spun on her heel and darted off after the soldiers, heading back toward Hyrule Field.

Link glanced down at the white, egg-shaped creature.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

“Well, that was pretty crazy,” said Impa, walking over toward Link and holding out her hand. “I’m Impa. Thanks for your help out there. You did a good job . . .”

“Link,” Link said, reaching forward and shaking her hand. “It was nothing.”

Impa chuckled. “It’s not nothing. King Rhoam seems to think you did a good job. If you’re getting praise from the King himself, you’re doing something right.”

Link certainly hoped so.

Impa shifted her attention to the little white creature that had been following Link around since the tower appeared. She looked at it, intrigued, one hand resting on her chin.

“Hmm,” she mused, her eyes narrowed. “An inexplicable Guardian . . .” she cast her gaze upward toward the golden tower. “. . . and a mysterious tower. I hate to say it, but we have little hope of figuring this out on our own.”

The thing – the _Guardian_ , as Impa had called it – let out a sudden beep, a small dial on the top of its head shooting upward as it did so. Without warning, it turned on its heel and skittered off, running away from Link and Impa.

“Hey!” Impa called. “What are you –” But it was so intent that it didn’t even listen to her. Instead, it kept going, shooting off in the direction of Hyrule Castle. “No! Stop right there!”

And she took off after the thing.

Link didn’t have much choice but to run after her.

All three of them ran all the way across Hyrule Field and back toward the main palace. On the way, they passed wounded soldiers, corpses of both monsters and Hylians alike, and living knights that were busy cleaning up the battlefield.

Eventually, the Guardian slowed to a walking pace, allowing Link and Impa to catch up to it.

“Hey,” Impa panted, glancing over at Link, “can I see that Sheikah Slate? I’ve got a bit of a theory.”

Without protest, Link reached into his belt and removed the Slate, handing it over to Impa, who took it and immediately started tapping away on it. Every now and then, she held it up and pointed it at the Guardian. She started muttering to herself.

“Huh? That’s odd . . . I wonder if . . . but no. That’d be too crazy. But maybe . . . I wonder if I –”

“What?” Link asked. “What is it?” All this talk was making him nervous.

Impa shook her head. “The readings I’m getting off that little guy aren’t making much sense,” she said. “It’s like he’s . . . not supposed to be here. And that means he’s from someplace – or sometime – else. We should go and see Princess Zelda. She’ll want to hear about this for sure.”

Link frowned. Readings? Not supposed to be here? Sometime else? None of that made much sense to him.

Impa apparently didn’t feel like explaining herself any further, as she stuck her nose back in the Slate and began tapping again. She was so focused that she almost tripped five times on the way up to the castle gate.

Eventually, the pair of them – and the Guardian, who had lagged behind a bit, distracted by some white and blue flowers – reached the castle. Before them, the high walls were still being patrolled by knights, waiting at the ready just in case another wave of monsters showed up to catch them off guard. Those that had survived the battle down on Hyrule Field and weren’t busy cleaning up had gathered as well, settling into patrol routines.

As they approached, the huge wooden drawbridge that led into the fortress was lowered. There, behind it, stood Princess Zelda.

She was a Hylian girl just a bit younger than Link, with long, braided blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a deep blue and white gown trimmed with gold in several places. According to the prophecy, she had within her a sealing power that, once unlocked, would stop Calamity Ganon in its tracks.

The problem was: she hadn’t managed to unlock it yet.

Her eyes lit up as they approached.

“You made it!” she said, meeting them just before the bridge. “I’m glad you’re safe, Impa.”

Link sunk to one knee; his head lowered just like he’d been taught. She was the princess, after all.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Impa said, clutching the Slate. “And I’ve received the Sheikah Slate from Purah.”

There was a sudden skittering on the cobblestones from behind him, and Link glanced around to see the White Guardian running at top speed toward the Princess. With lightning speed, he shot forward and snatched the strange creature up off the ground, holding it high in the air. While it seemed alright, it still probably wasn't a good idea to just let it waltz up to Princess Zelda.

The Guardian seemed to beep in protest, its legs flailing in the air as it tried to spin out of Link’s grasp. But he held firm.

“Ah . . .” Princess Zelda said, looking up at the Guardian in fascination. “What is that?”

That’s right. He’d forgotten her propensity for stuff like this. The Princess was extremely interested in the ancient technology that they and the Sheikah had been uncovering for some time now. She considered herself an amateur scholar.

“Hm?” Impa glanced down at the Slate. “Your Highness!” She scooted closer to the Princess and held up the Slate so she could look at it as well.

Link couldn’t see exactly what they were looking at, but he could tell it was serious by the way that both girls’ expressions change from wonder to nervousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Violet Hill - Coldplay
> 
> What I'm doing here is essentially combining Age of Calamity and Breath of the Wild into a single timeline. I'm adding extra scenes to help with pacing, changing some of the dialogue that sounds a little odd because it's a translation, making characters and events more consistent, and adding a couple of sideplots.
> 
> Also I'm adding some character to Link while keeping him consistent to being described as 'increasingly quiet and withdrawn' because, in the games, he had less personality than The Rookie from Halo 3: ODST. When a blank helmet can show more emotion than a seventeen-year-old boy, there's an issue.
> 
> I won't be updating this super often because I want to write ahead and I have another long series that I'm still writing, but I won't abandon this.


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